re: Need some advice on a career change

If he has a general business degree so I guess the electives would help but he will have to do all the maths and physics first before he can do his engineering classes, then all of those have prerequisites, its really lock step compared to other degrees. I remember being blown away when my business friends showed me that they could pick and choose a lot of their classes. Engineering is pretty much a set schedule to graduate. Its really hard to blow through stuff in engineering. 3 years could probably be done with summer school.

re: Need some advice on a career change(Posted by slackster on 12/6/12 at 3:42 pm to foshizzle)

quote:Do you want an analyst-type position?

I would probably be interested in something along those lines.

I guess a good way to sum up my concern is this. After two years and a good chunk of money, I do not feel like I have accomplished anything with my current career. At the risk of sounding like a tool, I feel like I have the intellectual power to do so much more than is currently required or ever would be required in my current path.

I have a good gig, I know that, but I also believe in striking while the iron is hot. To some extent, I feel like if I change things up and fail, at the very least I could satisfy my feelings that I am doing too little with what talents I believe I have. :idk:

re: Need some advice on a career change(Posted by Hand on 12/6/12 at 4:37 pm to slackster)

First, screw you . Second, how do you know that you would even enjoy engineering?

The grass isn't always greener. I left a Fortune 20 to work at a Fortune 500 because I thought it would make me happier. It didn't. I left the Fortune 500 to get an MBA because I thought it would make me happier. It didn't. I left the MBA program to work for a small firm because I thought it would make me happier. It hasn't.

I'm spoiled by my first real job at the Fortune 20. I hated the work, but I loved the lifestyle. Guess what? The work has sucked everywhere I've been, but now the lifestyle also sucks. That's been true even when I switched into a completely different role in a different segment of finance.

I get dumber by the day. None of it is fulfilling. None of it feels like I'm accomplishing anything. And that also seems to be the consensus among my friends about their jobs. It's like trying to roll a ball up a hill. It must be either a symptom of the profession or a symptom of the post grad years.

I thought about going back to school for architecture. It's what I wanted to be as a kid, before the influence of money. I had friends in a program at a local university so I spent a few days in the design lab. I quickly realized that I didn't want to be an architect.

The firm that I'm at now gives me a few things (1) I like the people (most of the people) (2) I have an extremely large amount of autonomy and discretion (which I've found that I value a lot as I'm pursued by other firms) (3) my compensation is getting closer to what I need it to be (I'm slightly older than you and make slightly less). I'm satisfied, but I wouldn't say that I'm happy.

Life is where dreams go to die. Figure out what will make you happy and go for it. I haven't figured it out so I'm staying put for now. Good luck with your decision.

Forfeiting 3 years of $85k a year is hard to stomach. You could consider doing some other activities on the side of your banking career if you are worried about having income outside of your salary. Making $85k with few expenses should easily lend itself to acquiring a few rental properties, maybe one every year or two which will provide you some nice supplemental income.

The personal responsibility in that job is very real and can be stressful. It would be hard to deal with losing someone's money, but if they're generally doing conservative investments, like bank investments, it shouldn't be something that weighs on you too hard. All jobs get mundane at some point, enjoy a hearty salary and have fun on the weekends

I like where your head is at. Don't just sit around and work a job that you don't like just because it pays well.

I can sort of help you out if you are considering PETE. Yoh have to be willing to be somewhat limited on where you can live. 90% of all roads lead to Houston. The other roads lead to Dallas, Denver, midland, Pittsburg, Calgary, Bakersfield. There are chances to travel the world, but you have to be open to Houston.

If you decide to go back, plan ahead. Not really school work wise; I mean work as hard as you possibly can on finding summer intern work with an operator the summer after your first year. Start interviewing the fall semester. This is make-or-break for petroleum engineering.

I think it's great to consider a career change. You are young and have money, and can afford it. Take your time, apply to schools, and see if they can help with funding. If not, I would go the in state route or else you will pay 20 grand plus a year for tuition.

Pete jobs probably won't land you 275k in 10 years (might be wrong) but you could be at 150 after 5 fairly easily.

Generally life is not all about money. If you need more out of your life, then go for what you really want. With your plan to go PETE and get an MBA at a top program, you will quickly make up what you lost in your time from work.

The money sounds good to most but it sounds like you want more out of your life. You are young and have time to make up the money you lost while in school. Chase your dream, you only live once.

re: Need some advice on a career change(Posted by MStant1 on 12/6/12 at 5:15 pm to slackster)

Get a hobby if you want to be stimulated. You're making very good money for Houston especially at 24. Sounds like staying with your company will bring you around 200k-300k a year by the time you are 30. Why would you leave!?

I make in the same range of money as you do and I'm 3 years older and live in a much more expensive city. Seriously. Stay.

re: Need some advice on a career change(Posted by foshizzle on 12/6/12 at 6:39 pm to slackster)

quote:quote: Do you want an analyst-type position?

I would probably be interested in something along those lines.

quote:I feel like I have the intellectual power to do so much more than is currently required or ever would be required in my current path.

Then I have a couple of suggestions for you.

First, if you are making $85K I'd think long and hard about going to grad school unless it's a night/weekend "executive" program. That might be right up your alley. The cost of going full-time for two years is basically prohibitive.

A possibility to consider is some of the executive ed programs done (mostly) remotely. For example, Harvard has some certificate programs where you only need to be there for a semester. There's a purely online offering in quantitative finance out there that advertises in the Economist from time to time. Economist has lots of executive ed ads, you may want to buy an issue and check some of them out. Keep in mind that a "certificate" from MIT that involves 5-10 courses may serve your purpose as well as a master's.

But whatever you do, consider of course how to leverage it and transition into something that makes more money. A lot of people go into grad school as a way to "find themselves" and that is generally a waste of time. If you go in with a specific purpose you can probably leverage your sales experience when you get out and do pretty well.

Without knowing anything else about you I think you are well-suited to do the executive ed certificate route if you position yourself in front of other employers. Retail sales is admittedly boring.